As family and friends of Damien Nash waited to learn why he died Saturday, preliminary autopsy results released Sunday were inconclusive and provided no answers about the death of the former Missouri and Denver Broncos football player.
According to Wendell Payne, an investigator with the, further testing, including toxicology examinations, will be needed, and that could take several weeks.
Nash, 24, was pronounced dead at Christian Hospital Northeast at 6:41 p.m. Saturday after participating in a charity basketball game for the Darris Nash Find A Heart Foundation, which raises money for heart transplant research. The foundation, founded last month, was named for Nash’s 25-year-old brother, who had undergone a heart transplant about a year ago.
According to the autopsy Nash had no visible heart problems. And St. Louis County medical examiner’s office said there was nothing noticeably the matter with his heart, no signs of trauma or anything obvious that would have caused his death.
Nash stayed at the court for about 90 minutes after the game to take pictures and sign autographs with other NFL players. Nash left the event in a limo, along with his wife, Judy, their seven-month-old daughter and several other family members around 6 p.m.
Upon return to his home in Ferguson, Nash went into a back room to speak with his wife and cousin, and collapsed. The family called 911 and tried to revive Nash. An EMS crew from Christian Hospital Northeast transferred him to that hospital’s emergency room, where he was pronounced dead six minutes after arriving, according to the medical examiner’s office.
Nash had gone through medical examinations with Coffeyville Community College and Missouri during his four years with the two schools, as well as NFL medical examinations with the Tennessee Titans in 2005 and the Broncos in 2006 during the preseason and postseason. Canter said no medical issues were ever reported.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
